Bengals Lose To Browns, Fall To 0-4

Posted: Sun 3:43 PM, Sep 28, 2008&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Sun 4:36 PM, Sep 28, 2008

Derek Anderson's one good moment was enough tosave the Cleveland Browns' season. Maybe his job, too. With reserve Brady Quinn ready to take over at any time Sunday,the embattled Anderson did just enough - and it wasn't much - torally Cleveland to a 20-12 victory over a winless CincinnatiBengals team missing its starting quarterback. Anderson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards thatput the Browns (1-3) ahead to stay in the fourth quarter, his bestplay on an afternoon that had few of them. Even that moment camewith an asterisk: A Bengals penalty wiped out a potentialinterception on the drive. Coach Romeo Crennel made it known that Quinn was ready to takeover if Anderson struggled again on Sunday. Playing with a soreright forearm that was tightly wrapped, Anderson went 15-of-24 for138 yards with a touchdown and an interception, keeping Quinn onthe sideline. He had plenty of help from the down-and-out Bengals. Carson Palmer rested a sore passing elbow that forced him tomiss a game for the first time since 2004, a huge setback for astruggling offense. Cincinnati couldn't do much behind RyanFitzpatrick, who hadn't completed a pass in a regular-season gamein three years. Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions and finished the game asCincinnati's leading rusher with 41 yards on four scrambles,underscoring the Bengals' futility. They're 0-4 for the first timesince 2002, when they went a franchise-worst 2-12 that got coachDick LeBeau fired. It was ugly all-around. The Bengals wasted two timeouts in the second half because theirconfused defense had too many men on the field. Cleveland's BraylonEdwards undercut a drive in the fourth quarter with a late hit,then exchanged words on the sideline with Anderson before stormingaway. After another futile drive, Anderson went to the bench andcovered his face in a brown towel. But at the end, Anderson and theBrowns were still standing - a little wobbly, though. A three-play sequence late in the half encapsulated the currentstate of pro football in Ohio. Crennel decided to go for it on 4th-and-1 at the Cincinnati45-yard line. Anderson faked a handoff, rolled right and spottedSteve Heiden breaking open. Anderson dumped his throw low andbehind the tight end, showing again why his job was in jeopardy. Two plays later, Fitzpatrick tried to throw a pass to Chad OchoCinco, but Eric Wright made a one-handed interception and headedupfield. He was hit and fumbled - right to Ocho Cinco. At that moment, no one in the stadium had any doubt why thesetwo teams were winless.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.